Atasca Hampshire
(617) 621-6991
50 Hampshire St
Cambridge,
MA
02139
42.3669
-71.0928
Neighborhood: Area IV
What People Are Saying About Atasca Hampshire
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
With its cool décor of saturated but subdued colors and mix of small tables and booths, Atasca wouldn't look at all out of place in Lisbon's Chiado district. Tables are often shoved together for en masse dining like visiting Portuguese trade delegations or East Cambridge family gatherings.
The Food
Hands down, Atasca is the best place in Greater Boston to sample a wide range of Portuguese regional cuisines. Appetizers tend to be simple and bold: linguiça with grilled slices of pineapple, or grilled fresh sardines in vinaigrette. The delicate flavors of northern Portugal ring clear in the simple chicken breast sautéed in vinho verde with mushrooms, artichokes and peppers. The signature dish of south-central Portugal, carne de porco a Alentejana, is a lusty plate of pork loin slices with clams, paprika, cilantro and garlic.
User Reviews
hardinghouseinncambrdge
January 21, 2009
Atasca, which means ?neighborhood place,? serves authentic traditional Portuguese food in an elegant upscale setting. With its ultra-modern wall-to-wall glass facade, Atasca fits right into Kendall?s Tech Square. But inside, its like a regal Portuguese palace with colorful native ceramics, traditional folk paintings, and a brick hearth. And the food, which features authentic regional specialties, is out of this world. Start with the delicious small plates like the linguica pork sausage with grilled pineapple, the grilled fresh sardines in vinaigrette, or shrimp with a hot spicy piri-piri sauce. Main course favorites include grilled dry salt cod drizzled with hot olive oil and garlic; and south Portugal?s signature dish of succulent pork loin with clams, paprika, and cilantro. Though the food is always impeccable, the service can sometimes be prickly. Even if you are starving, waiters refuse to bring you bread until after you order; and they are very inflexible about splitting bills on different credit cards. But that aside, Atasca is the best place in Boston for authentic upscale Portuguese cuisine.
read full review
sarahww
January 04, 2009
it was very disappointing... the food was rather bland and not really authentic portuguese.. plus expensive. And I have never seen such a bad and rude service...
read full review
AMEAR
August 28, 2008
Many times I miss the feeling of being in Portugal and going to A Tasca brings back the feeling of dinners with friends and family in Lisbon. The food is some of the closest that I have found to true Portuguese food in Boston. I have been to this restaurant several times with my American friends and family and they have all enjoyed. The bacalhau (salted cod fish) is fantastic!
read full reviewThe Details on Atasca Hampshire
Where to Sit:
Five stools at the bar are great spots for solo diners, letting you swivel around to survey the scene.
Know Before You Go:
Reservations are recommended and only taken for parties of six or more.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Cash, Discover, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Outdoor Dining, Notable Wine List
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
